2002 December 25

I shouldn’t be here, and neither should you, but since you are, check out this article from the Washington Post (via Slashdot) discussing the implications of McCain vs. Hollings for IP

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) President Jack Valenti — one of the most vocal supporters of efforts to bolster copyright protection — said the Senate shift wouldn’t hurt that cause.

“I don’t think it affects the debate at all. The change in chairmanship does not affect the need to protect creative works from piracy,” Valenti said.

The ITAA’s Miller said the party swap could provide a small boon to opponents of the Hollings bill, but that its supporters still will push hard for it.

“I never want to underestimate the (MPAA’s) ability to lobby these issues,” Miller said. “If Jack Valenti had been around at the time of Gutenberg he would have organized the monks to come and burn down the printing press.”

McCain, however, remains the big question mark.

Otherwise, The Register puts its spin on the earlier posting stating that only Greece and Denmark met the EC copyright deadline.